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Trusts

Just as it sounds, a trust-based DC scheme is a workplace pension scheme run by a group of trustees that the employer appoints, rather than by a large pension provider.

Being trust-based gives your employees the added security that their pension assets are legally ring-fenced and they'll still get their pension even if your business runs into difficulties.

It can meet your needs as an employer by delivering robust governance to help ensure good outcomes for your employees. Roles of the trustees include:

being responsible for the administration of the scheme

managing member communication

ensuring the scheme is governed correctly

selecting the fund range members will be offered

managing certain liabilities towards members

Being trust-based gives your employees the added security that their pension assets are legally ring-fenced and they'll still get their pension even if your business runs into difficulties.

Who are trust-based schemes best suited to?

As a defined contribution scheme, a trust-based DC pension is built up through contributions from the employer, employees, tax relief from the government and any investment growth.

Trust-based DC schemes tend to be favoured by companies that already have a trustee board in place for a legacy defined benefit (DB) scheme or that have the resources to set up their own trustee board and operate their own in-house pension scheme.

For employers that want trustee oversight but don’t have the resources to appoint their own trustee board, a master trust where governance, administration and trustee services are shared with other schemes may be a solution.

Who regulates trust-based DC schemes?

In both trust and contract-based schemes, The Pensions Regulator is responsible for ensuring that payments are made from an employer to the members’ pension funds.

The Financial Services Authority is responsible for managing the regulation of individual members’ pensions and subsequently annuities and drawdown arrangements.